Attorney General Kamala Harris Endorses Superintendent Tom Torlakson

SACRAMENTO -- California Attorney General Kamala Harris today endorsed teacher and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, adding the state's top law enforcement official to his growing ranks of supporters.

"Superintendent Tom Torlakson is a strong advocate for addressing the problem of school truancy, and a leader in working to keep gangs, drugs and guns out of our schools," Harris said. "I urge California's voters to keep a classroom teacher at the helm of California's education system by re-electing Tom Torlakson."

Torlakson's strong record on school safety and child protection has also earned him support from the state's leading public safety groups, including the California Association of Highway Patrolmen, the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and the Peace Officers Research Association of California.

Legislation authored by Torlakson helped make California home to the largest system of after-school programs in the nation, which now reach 4,000 schools throughout the state. Torlakson is also author of the Sherrice Iverson Child Victim Protection Act to require witnesses to report sexual or violent crimes against children under 14.

A second-generation public school teacher, Torlakson is seeking a second term as State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Torlakson uses his classroom experience to make schools safer, help more students graduate with real-world skills, and put more decision-making over education dollars in the hands in the hands of parents, teachers and communities.